Scratch-muffler for sound-reproducing machines.



A C. RUTZEN.

SCRATCH MUFFLER FOR souwo REPRODUCING MACHINES.

APPLICATIGN FILED SUNE 4.1915- Patentodbept. 26, 1916.

2 SHEETS SHEET \INVENYOR.

A.C. RUTZEN BY 5% 7% A TTORNE YS.

, A. c. RUTZEN. SCRATCH MUFFLER FOR SOUND REPRODUCING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, IQIS,

lulvmmlhvpt. 26, 1916.

2 $HLElS- SHEET 2.

INVE'NTOR. AC. RUTZEN,

WITNESS rdl' A TTORNE YS.

AUGUST C. RUTZEN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SCRATCH-MUFFLER FOR SOUND-REPRODUCIN'G MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed June 4, 1915. Serial No. 32,097.

K o I To (171 whom zt'may concern:

7 Be it known that I, AUGUST C. Roman, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Cleveland," inthe county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Scratch-Mufflers for Sound-Reproducing Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to a scratch mufller for sound reproducing machines, such as the- V1ctor, the Columbia, and other like mechines of the gramophone type, and which is intended to prevent, deaden or eliminate the scratchy sound or noise common-to such machines as now generally in use.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a. gramo'p'hone of a well known kind and Fig.2 is aside elevation thereof and both views equipped with, my muffler attachment: Fig.- 3, Sheet 2, is a sectional elevation of the said attachment or mufller in one of its forms, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof and Fig. 5 ins plan. view. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of a modification of the muftler attachment and Figs. 7 and 8 are a side elevation and plan view thereof respectively. Fig. 9 shows a section of an arm of the machine with the sound box and my attachment thereon and Fig. 10 is an elevation of the parts seen in Fig. 9 but at right angles thereto.

It is well known to all who are familiar with musical or other mechanical reproduc tions by gramophone and like machines that there is an audible scratchy or raspy noise or sound incident to the operation which grates on sensitive ears and greatly detracts from the enjoyment which would 'Jtherwise be obtained and which such machines are expected to afford. The present invention, therefore, is designed to remedy this fundamental imperfection in sound reproducing machines and to make the machine repro-' duce the tones in their original purity and quality. To these ends I have devised the attachment herein set forth and consisting ofwhat I prefer to term a scratch mother, the purpose and effect being to absolutely prevent or deaden the scratchy noise at least to such an extent that it cannot be detected by the human ear if it be not totally eliminated, which I believe it is. At any rate with the use of m attachment no scratch or noise of that kind can be heard .in the presence of the legitimate sounds derived from the record. The said mufiler or attachment is, therefore, presented at this time in two practical embodiments, and while these differ more or less in mechanical details, they have the some practical efi'ect and value. However, I would not have it understood that the said forms of the invention define its limits either in their construction or in their relation to the needle and other parts. Nor possibly do they represent the best or simplest developments thereof since, in my protracted and widely "varied ex eriments to find a practical scratch mu er, I have made other forms 'of apparently great promise and I which presumably are protected by the generic claims presented herein. Thus, in Fig. 3, the invention is embodied in an attachment in which n represents the usual needle of whatever kind or material, and s a stem which has a split spring chuck in its bottom in which the needle is removably supported and which practically forms a con tinuation of the needle and goes to the usual needle holder in connection with the sound box, say as inFig. 2. The said stem and needle are thus in a sense unified, or made as one element and. are supported together in-the preferably spherical casing c, which has a split externally threaded extension-2 at its bottom and a nut thereon adapted to close the same upon the needle and thus definitely fasten the same with sa.d casing. while the stem 8 has a collar 4 within and bearing against said casing and adapted to prevent thrust of the stem as well as serving as a top bearing for the ball I; mounted on said stem within the casing. The said ball is shown herein as consisting of rubber, with a hollow core or center and fbored through to sleeve upon said stem and Where on it occupies the upper portion. of the casing, being relatively smaller than the casing as shown. This leaves an unoccupied space in the casing all around the ball and.

purpose or have the same or equivalent operating efi'ect, and neither do I limit myself to the proportionate number of holes 6 nor to their depth, as I might want greater depth, nor to the thickness and proportion- 5 ate weight of the ball, as some or possibly all the said holes might penetrate near to or even into the interior of, the'ball, or fewer or possibly no holes at an might serve with some possible forms of the ball. ,Indeed my experiments have led me see that there are many possible inwhat might seem minor particulars'fiwhich make a great difi'erence in the results obtained. Also the shape of the casing a may be changed 'or varied and ossibly in some instances it might be per orated more or less for open intercommunication and serve the purpose.

In Fig. 6 I show the other or modified form of the invention above referred to. In this form I employ a casing or sphere a as above, but the stem 8' is a right an led member inserted through an insulate ni ple 7 at the side of the casing and engaged in or with the ball b therein. The said ball is of metal rather than rubber and has a comparatively thin shell and is provided with "scattered holes or openings 8 which open the interior of the ball into free annular space about the ball within said shell, and the said shell has a split extension 9 and a nut 10 thereon adapted ,to clamp and fix the needle n within the split extension 11 of the ball after tholmannen seen in Fig. 3. This fixes the ball I) centrally and rigid in the casing c'.' fFigs. 9 and 10 show th s form of mufiler as attached to the box a of a machine having a supporting arm a. Now, as respectsthe theory on which this invention has been worked out or upon whichI obtain the results sought, 1 can only say that. up to this time I have been much more interested inthe practical devel- T opment of a device to do'the work than with 45 any preconceived theories on which the development should proceed. Hence I tried one thing and another and another, and worked from clue to clue in darkness and light until I found that certain constructions or combinations, of which the forms herein are fairly, representative, would do the work. It has, therefore, been less a question of theory about weights or insulations or chambers or other abstractions than actual experimentation with devices that might possibly serve mv purpose. I may say however, that in working up to the structure shown in Fig. 3, the mere addition of the ball 6 to the'combination did not give satisfactor 1 results, but when the said ball was provi ed with the bore holes 6 I-found an instant solution of the problem and all the scratchy sounds disappeared.

Likewise in Fig. 6, the lam imperforate 65 ball or'shell b was whol y unsatisfactory,

,that a solution of the problem of the ball and in the other they do, thetptal Wei ht of Fig. 3 is greater than 1* ig. 6 and,

'whi e there is metallic continuity in both -forms through the needle to the sound,

chamber, the connection isindirec-t-throulgh the shell 6 in Fig. '6, where a meta icrather than a rubber ball is em loyed. I f};

not, therefore, at this time, no ertake'to sjs elimination can be put into any formula or be limited to aniwparticulariin strumentalities, but I do cairn that the means herein shown and 6 scribed do the work perfectly. A cushion ng-or insulatingmedium 5, such as rubber is also used between the casing and the stem 8 &1Dd needle n, and also between the flanged halves of the casing, see Fig. 3. In Fig. 6 similar cushioning or insulating mate-rial 5 used between the two halves of the casing and between the two split extensions and 11.

The casing, shell or drum 4; or 0 shown herein is preferably made in two halves or sections and also preferably of metal,'and in addition to providing a chamber containing the ball or member 4?; or b serves also as the medium on which the-needle andthe stem are separately or separably supported. The attachment or article of manufacture shown and claimed is therefore a complete unit without the needle, having a socket or clamp in which the needle is removably engaged. -The stem, however, in the present form of the device may be regarded as a portion of the attachment but is subject to modification to suit the machine to which it is attached.

What I claim is:

1. A scratch muiiler for gramophones and the like comprising a metallic shell, a muffler member, in said shell and insulated therefrom and a needle engaged with said muiiler member and insulated from said shell: i v

2,. A scratch muilier for gramophones and the like ,cornprising a substantially spherical metallic shell-and a hollow niuti'ier member fixed therein and needle tp said member and insulated from said sheii.

- 3. A scratch muiiler for gramophones and the like, comprising a inetaiiio shell, a root fier member in said shell supported apart irom the wall thereof and insulated there rom, and a needle engaged with said inemher and insulated from said shell.

4'. A scratch mufiler for gramophones and the like, comprising a spherical metaliic shell, a hollow 'muflier member in said shell, a needle secured to said member and insulated from said shell and apart physically connected with said member and projecting through said. shell and adapimi to W from maste with a sound box,

3. 112 machines defixrihed, 21 MW" mlaptm] to he ix'ltorposed between the or box and the reproducing media and adapted to subdue the scratch not in tho neadlm the Said dovicre comw'ising' two {:)=),IH.(\ holiow members of ditto rent aims and otw within the other.

(3. In a scratch mufi'ling device as do SPX'itWL'L outer and inner hofiow momtwvs fixvd apart from tam-1'1 other and. provid d with a socket for a needle. a needle in said souketand zt stem projecting thmlzgn the outor of said members into the inner mam her.

7. The mutfiing attachment deocriheal mrw ing two members one within the other and insulated from each other. a needle in trans mitting relatEons with the said members,

and a How an ifs lti owns 8. A mutt. v, mmpri:-aiz:g: a fit? soe'il and r:

ou'viqjj sub: Lm' moi a com, mumhm and 1210:1115; to snfill p12 rte: comprisfing a. .m' tions; Mt}; both said mon'sh in testimony whereof in pro-Donne of two fitm- 

